From Imagination and Beyond
by June Dune
Summary: Tails had the coolest friend in the orphanage. He was funny, intelligent, and always knew what to say to an insult. He was also super fast and could beat up the bullies like no tomorrow. He was like Tails' older brother. Only...in Tails' head. Tails' imaginary friend Sonic! Brotherly fluff AU.
1. Never Conspire with My Imaginary Friend

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic, Eggman, Tails, or any other character. It all belongs to SEGA. And cover art belongs to DianchanX from DeviantART.**

On Mobius, there once was an orphanage who prided itself on being the only charitable building to house over one hundred orphans, as odd as an accomplishment that really is. Kids of all ages who were parentless, unwanted, and love-deprived dwelled there, prepped by cordial but strict staff workers in hopes that the kids would be adopted at an early age. After all, demographics showed that kids beyond the age of ten had little to no chance of ever being adopted, and thus those older orphans were practically hired into assisting the orphanage as underage staff. Welcome to West Side's Home for Children.

Despite this orphanage containing quite a large population of orphans, the building stole only a small street corner by the tattoo parlor and the drug store, meaning fewer rooms and more bunk beds.

It was an early Monday morning, which meant early rise for the orphans at exactly six thirty and standing ready at their doors by seven. However, despite the strict schedule forced upon by oppressive staff, there were still some who refused to heed that order.

In all rooms, every bed was tucked in and neatly kept, all except one, which was hurriedly covered, sheets hastily thrown over.

The late kid, who was a bright yellow eight year old fox, flew across the carpet in the bedroom and entered into the bathroom. He hummed a familiar, quick-paced tune as he sprayed a good amount of Colgate onto his toothbrush and lathered his teeth in it. The fox grasped a comb and hastily swept it over his three primary bangs, making the static in his golden fur even worse.

But at this point, he didn't care. He spit out a glob of blue and started singing. "Movin' at speed of sound-" the fox brushed the comb over his two tails and they bushed out prominently as he tossed it out and skittered back into the bedroom. "-quickest hedgehog around-"

"Tommy!" an abrupt voice boomed from outside.

"Here, sir!"

The fox's eyes- -which were bright and blue as sapphires- -widened, and he started to move even quicker than before. He began to sing again, his words becoming a rapid, muffled mess, as he slipped on his blue uniform. "Mphot ourselves a phsituation. Stuck in a new location-"

"Danny!"

"Here, sir!"

Shoot, Bill was after Danny. And he was after Bill.

Stuffing his stubby legs into his pants and snatching his pair of loafers, the fox dashed outside the door and down the hallway. Murmurings at the end of the hall signaled he was home free. The fox let out a burble of glee as he slowed to a halt by a figure seemingly invisible to the others.

By the short, two-tailed fox sloppily dressed in uniform was a tall lanky blue hedgehog dressed in nearly nothing at all save for cherry red sneakers and chalk white gloves. He seemed to stand out among all the orphan boys; with his stocky appearance and teenage good looks, he looked about fifteen or so. His eyes resembled green grasshoppers, hopping and dancing with mischief, and his smirk, wide with brilliant teeth, broadened as the fox neared him.

"Woah, new record, Tails! Nice!" the blue hedgehog announced, grinning and raising his hand for a high-five.

Tails smacked his little hand against the teenager's outstretched one confidently. "Thanks, Sonic," the kid said, beaming childlike, "I knew I could get ready in ten minutes. The others take forever to get ready."

"Bill!"

"Here, sir!"

Tails jolted to action and rounded the corner to join the line of boys as Sonic sent him a thumbs-up.

"Here, sir, here!" the fox yelped, squeezing between Bill and Zachary. His shoulders couldn't have gotten more tense, but when he saw the humongous man towering over him, his frame stood frozen.

This staff worker, not-so-affectionately called Eggman by Sonic and soon Tails, was an obese, middle-aged man with unusually gangly legs and arms and a belly that bulged out like Santa's. But he was not jolly gift-giver. His wily orange moustache and mysterious glasses always made every orphan uneasy, and his strict voice plus insane rumors of his punishing naughty children in unusual ways equaled a dictator-like figure that every kid tried to avoid.

Eggman was now examining him quite suspiciously as that was part of his job- -to analyze any violations to dress-code. His face seemed normal until it twisted in an almost horrific way. "Why, don't you have your loafers on?" he asked.

"They're too small," the fox quipped with all honesty, "They cramp up my feet, too, and-"

"Your comfort is none of my concern. Put your loafers on," the fat man spat mercilessly.

Tails didn't even try to argue as he quickly crammed his sock-covered feet into the dress shoes. He made a slight grunting noise at the sudden change and squirmed instinctively.

The tall man peered down, his navy blue spectacles gleaming menacingly. "And who are you...?"

"Miles Prower, sir," he squeaked at the looming shadow.

"Miles..." he growled. Then, standing straight up, the fat man took a breath of silence then barked, "Zachary!"

"Here, sir!"

Tails breathed a sigh of relief as Sonic acted as if he were going to kick the fat man's hind.

* * *

Academics were provided by the West Side's Home for Children itself, another thing it prided itself upon. After all, potential parents wanted smart, well-educated little ones as their children, not homeless ones from off the street.

The fox sighed heftily and shoved away his paperwork, which was already filled out neatly. His baby blue eyes scanned the outdated motivational posters for the millionth time. Sonic, who had drawn up a chair next to the fox, attempted to make paper airplanes out of construction paper and toss them in the air to amuse himself, but to no avail.

"This is so boring!" Sonic cried, sinking in his seat. Then, he sat straight up, ears perked. "Maybe the teacher has somethin' for us!"

As he said this, the teacher- -a young, frisky female Mobian- -made a straight beeline towards them. She lifted her finger once she was in front of the fox. "Listen, Mr..." she faltered.

"Miles."

"Miles," she said, "Why do you have an empty chair next to you?"

Sonic snorted and Tails simply said, "It's for my friend, ma'am." The teacher raised an eyebrow at this and opened her mouth- -about to say something else- -until the fox spoke up again. "I finished my worksheet, ma'am. Do you think that I could try what the older kids are working on, the Pythagorean Theorem?"

The teacher took a deep breath and rubbed her temple with her fingers. "Miles, I think it's best that you just work on multiplication and division like other eight year old boys."

Tails' eyebrows furrowed. "But-!"

"It's for the best," she cut in, thus ending the conversation.

The two-tailed fox slumped instantly as Sonic patted his back and quipped, "It was worth a try, lil' bud." While the teacher walked past them, she pulled out Sonic's chair from under him and dragged it away, causing the hedgehog to fall on his blue bum. _"Hey!"_ he cried, "Doesn't she have eyes?"

"Okay, class, free time!" the teacher chimed in cheerily, nevertheless.

The students immediately left their seats and scattered to the back of the room, where all the toys and games were. Tails, who was finishing up a geometry problem he made for himself, heard the teacher's voice. His eyes widened, and he shot straight up and scampered to the back. Sonic followed in suit to nab some extra construction paper, still rubbing his spiny bottom.

"No-no-no-no!" the fox said, scrambling to the colorful bins, where the crayon packs resided. He scanned the bin in haste and sighed in relief when he spotted a lone twelve-pack at the bottom. Clutching it with glee, Tails called over his shoulder, "Race ya back to the desk, Sonic!"

"You're on!" was the blue boy's response.

The fox sprinted merrily towards his desk, pumping his arms wildly and trying to imagine how fast Sonic could really go. His thoughts were promptly interrupted as he slammed into something hard and fell onto the carpet.

"Ouch..." Tails looked up and saw a young eleven year old human dressed in a similar blue uniform leering over him, "..Hey, Alex."

The boy laughed, his chestnut hair bobbing at shoulder length. "Hey, two-tailed _twit,_ why don't we play a game?" he said, sneering.

"Not 'rock paper scissors' again," the fox moaned, hoisting himself up.

"Why not, freak? Think ya gonna lose?" Alex shot back. When receiving no answer, his fists were raised in expectation. Tails copied the motion. "Okay...rock-paper-scissors! Ha, I win! That means I get all your crayons!"

The boy performed a cutting motion with his oversized hand on Tails' fishlike one. "What? No fair! I wasn't ready!" Tails said, "Can't we just share, Alex?"

"Ha, you gotta be more than ready to defeat me! And don't worry, I'll give you a crayon," Alex said smugly, dropping a brown crayon into the dumbfounded fox's hands, "_One_. See ya 'round, _twerp!"_

Frustration coursed through the little fox's body as he plunked into his seat and began to work with the one color.

"What a loser," Sonic said chillily. Tails drove his brown crayon deeper into the thick construction paper.

"I know!" Tails exclaimed, "It's like he's always trying to get on my nerves and get me in trouble. I always get the stinky colors because of him." The fox stared and moped at his picture. "I mean, It could've been a masterpiece."

"Hey," Sonic spoke calmly, "I guess me and you being the same color is pretty cool. At least you can tell we're close."

"Neither of us are brown," the fox deadpanned, sweeping a bushy tail over the drawing. "What a useless piece of junk. I'm throwing it away."

Tails' big brother immediately jumped to the rescue, sliding in between the trash can and Tails. "Woah, woah, lil' buddy, you might wanna think first before you toss it. What if this thing'll become pretty valuable later on?"

The fox stared at the picture glumly. "I don't think this is million-dollar worthy," he answered, his face becoming more downcast.

Sonic grinned and grasped the paper. "Hey, it very well could be," he shot back, straightening out the picture, "Say, brown crayon is gonna be the new chic around here. We'll make it be the new style, that's what!" The blue hedgehog then frowned, clueless. "But...how?"

"Well, why don't we confiscate all the brown crayons in the whole orphanage? Things become more valuable if there's less of 'em," Tails muttered slowly. "At midnight, when all the caretakers are sleep...it would be perfect to take all of them. Then everyone will want a brown crayon!"

Sonic snapped his fingers at the end of Tails' statement, grinning vigorously. "Now that's what I call a plan!" he said excitedly.

* * *

In the dead of night, one figure shuffled out of his bed silently, careful not to disturb his roommates, and tumbled outside his bedroom. A taller, lankier figure walked ahead of him, trying to blend with the shadows as well. Tails the Fox could barely see a thing in this thick darkness, so Sonic had offered to scout ahead and make sure to notify Tails of any obstacles.

"Anything up ahead, Sonic?"

"Uh...nope. Not at all. Oh, wait! Toy box! Toy box!"

The two-tailed fox didn't receive a fair warning and stumbled clumsily into the box stationed below, his feet making contact with the sharp edges of toys. Tails covered his mouth and nearly squealed as he teetered his way out of them.

"...Wall! Wall!"

Colliding into a wall, Tails was able to regain his balance and his breath. "Are we almost there, Sonic?"

Silence followed until the blue hedgehog's voice piped up again. "Yeah, yeah, a couple more steps ahead, I think, and we'll be at the classroom in no time!"

Tails gulped and tried to follow the voice of his friend, who started to hum a vaguely familiar spy tune. Since he was already engulfed in darkness, the fox shut his eyes, tuning into his other senses. The prickly, sticky feeling of the popcorn-like wall helped guide him straight. There was nothing to be heard except the scuffing of his own short steps against the carpet and the humming of a reverberating vent down the hall.

"We're here!" the friendly voice declared.

The fox stuck a hand out blindly in the murky pitch black. Sure enough, he felt the cool, rough surface and took a deep breath of a fresh forest in early morning.

A door.

Tails found the door knob and swung the door open, revealing a world different from the day. Spots of the room were showered in moonlight, but most of the classroom was eerily immersed in shadows as the two stumbled over to what looked like the back of the room.

"Found the crayon bin, Tails!" Sonic whispered.

From there, they made quick work, pilfering the brown crayons from their containers and collecting the ones left at the bottom of the bin.

"Wow, can you believe it, Sonic? There must be over a hundred in my own paws!" the fox sputtered.

"Yeah, this is certainly the mother lode!" Sonic said, his teeth glimmering, "I bet there's-"

A door creaked and slowly shut.

They froze.

The fox's baby blue eyes flickered to the door of the classroom. Still open.

"Someone's awake with us," Tails whispered through gritted teeth, his fur standing on end.

Instantly, Sonic shot ahead, "Let's make a break for it!"

The two scrambled towards the door, crayons safely tucked in their arms, made a mad dash to the bedroom, leaped into their lower bunk bed, and kept their mouths shut.

A lengthy silence followed.

"Hey, Sonic?" a hushed voice asked.

"Hmm?"

"I think we made it."

"Me, too."

The two silently high-fived as Tails cheered softly, "Operation Brown Burglary- -complete!"

* * *

The next two weeks for the two-tailed orphan and his blue imaginary friend were heavenly. The plan had worked like a charm; staff workers were befuddled at the sudden act of thievery and none of the kids had any brown crayons to color with. Thanks to a little glamorizing about the color of dirt, Tails got many of the children his age hungering for what once was the least-desired crayon.

Then, the dashing duo set their plan to work, with the two-tailed orphan subtly cluing others in on his brown-tooled dynasty and the blue hedgehog encouraging the behavior and giving advice as it went. Soon, there was a steady business of exchanging going on between Tails and the other children: a brown crayon for not ratting him out. However, when Sonic demanded that he and Tails should receive a real reward when giving away a brown crayon, that's when they _really_ hit the jackpot.

"Seventy-one...seventy-two...seventy-seventy-three! Seventy-three mints, Sonic! Have you ever seen so many all at once in your lifetime?" Tails announced, bouncing on his lower bunk bed in glee and rattling his winnings with each motion. Sonic lay backwards on his spiny blue back, his sneakers resting on the pillow.

"Yeah, we've really been getting it big since we took all those crayons," Sonic said, tapping his foot against the wall idly.

Noticing the hedgehog's lethargic attitude, the fox searched for something underneath the ruffled covers. "Don't think I left you out, Sonic! I've got something for you!"

The blue teenager sat straight up at the sound of plastic crackling. A wild grin overtook his placid expression. "You did not."

"Did!" Tails cheered, tossing a pack of nacho cheese chips onto Sonic's lap, "I know you don't have a sweet tooth like I do. So I pulled a few strings to get you some. Though it's not a chilidog, your most favoritest food..." The fox glanced up from his bashful speech to see that Sonic had practically devoured all its contents, orange powder smeared across his tan muzzle.

The blue hedgehog chuckled and gave him a thumbs-up. "Hey, anythin' spicy or savory I like. Thanks for thinkin' about me. You're way past cool, Tails!" he said, revealing nacho cheese-stained teeth.

"Thanks!" Tails said, accidentally spitting out one of the five mints he had in his mouth in the process. He slipped the candy back into his mouth- -five second rule, right?- -as Sonic scooted closer.

"So we still have a lot of brown crayons left, lil' buddy. It's a miracle that the adults haven't found out about our plan. How long do ya think we can keep this up?" the blue hedgehog asked, grasshopper eyes glittering with curiosity.

The two-tailed orphan gathered the brown crayons in hand. "It's simple," he stated, "We continue to hide the remaining brown crayons under the covers and bed and slowly sell them all to the kids like we've been doing. Then the adults will have nothing to worry about once we have them all out of our possession!"

Sonic nodded, assured. Then an apprehensive look flickered across his face as he swiveled his head around. "Ya know, don't ya think that class will be starting up again soon after free time? It's been a while," he said.

Tails nodded to the teenager's remark and leaped off his bed, crayons in his gloved hands. "You're right. We better head down there right now. Otherwise somebody might've noticed we were missin' and-"

_"Ah-ha!"_ a voice cried, and a fat man- -none other than Eggman himself- -barreled into the room. He pointed a finger at the startled orphan triumphantly, "I have you now, little rotten smuggler!"

Tails dropped his crayons as Sonic simultaneously whispered, "I _told _you we shouldn't've given a brown crayon to Alex."

...

And so, Miles Prower was founded out to be the mastermind behind the brown crayon caper, an elaborate smuggling of brown art tools in exchange for rich mint candy and scrumptious cheese chips. As punishment, West Side's Home for Children sentenced the orphan to two weeks of mopping up the boys' bathroom alone. After all, the orphanage had no room for that kind of behavior going on amongst the kids. With one of the staff workers- -Eggman, to be precise- -bellowing on about 'that blasted two-tailed Prower', one thing was sure: Miles Prower, indeed, had become the most wanted among staff workers.

Alas, if that were the case for potential parents for him, his life would be splendid. In fact, at times, Miles wished he would've had a completely different life, one where he wasn't stuck in an orphanage, first ignored and now despised.

Tails swept the mop sullenly over the bathroom tiles, his arms weary from menial work. Sonic was at work as well, and when he saw the eight year old's despondent countenance, he shuffled over to him indiscreetly.

"Hey. Hey, Tails."

"What?" the fox grumbled, only to be doused with mop water, "Hey!"

Sonic was already in a laughing fit, so Tails ruefully flicked his mop's water into his friend's face. He smiled sinisterly at the hedgehog's sputtering astonishment.

Sonic saw the devious little fox's smirk and grinned in response. "This means war!"

The two of them immediately hurried over to the water pail, dunked their cleaning tools in, and ensued in an all-out battle of epic proportions. It persisted for a while but over the course of fifteen minutes, it soon deteriorated into fox and hedgehog in laughing conniptions on the flooded floor, fur and clothes soaked to the skin.

...Maybe an entirely different life with loving parents and devoid of evil staff workers could've made Miles' life splendid. Yet, still, what was life to Tails without his imaginary friend?

**So, I'm trying something a bit different for once, an AU! This honestly was just some an experimentation with a random idea that I had about Sonic technically not existing in real life but in Tails' mind. If you liked it, let me know whether I should continue via review, favorite, follow, or PM. 'Cause if not, I may leave it as a random one-shot. And also, if you liked my style but generally prefer more serious content, check out my other stories!**

** Thanks!**

**-JD**


	2. Imaginary Friends Steal Bed Covers

**Hiya! So, due to the amazing feedback for the first chapter, I decided to make another chapter, and I still may or may not continue this. However, there is probably a high chance of continuing this idea due to the many people who liked it. :) Special thanks to Guest, Guest, JJWalker12, Christian Wolf99, and Starstruckeyes for reviewing and the rest of you for following/faving!**

Sonic sped past Tails, who tried to keep up with him down the stairs. "You're too slow!" the hedgehog teased, grinding on the rails. The fox pushed past orphans as he strained to get the upper hand in the race to the cafeteria.

However, the blue teenager landed majestically at the end, a wild grin revealing that he knew he had won. Tails, a flight of stairs behind, attempted to yell, "No fair!" Unfortunately, it came out as "Augh!" while he tripped on his own loafers and tumbled down the stairs. And like all things that could go wrong, he bull-dozed someone over.

Tails stood immediately up and bent down to help the other boy up, who looked like a tiny bee. His uniform was worse off than Tails'; the shirt sagged over his entirely body, and you couldn't see his lower half of clothing under all the blue of his buttoned-up top.

Fear struck the two-tailed eight year old instantly. He gave the bee a nod of acknowledgement and zoomed ahead to the hallway leading to the cafeteria. Sonic-who had watched all this happen-fell in pace with his yellow friend, and he asked, "Hey, isn't that the new orphan who just arrived a week ago?"

"Yeah."

The blue hedgehog's grasshopper gaze flickered from Tails to the new orphan, then back again. "Do ya know his name?"

"Nope."

"Have you tried talking to him?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"  
The fox stared at the ground as they walked, shame burning his pelt. The blue hedgehog felt sympathy in his heart. "C'mon, Tails, try to be a little nice to the new guy," Sonic urged, shoving the fox gently, "I mean, do you remember how everyone greeted us?"

Tails wrinkled his nose, saying, "They ignored us and avoided us like the plague. At least, I think they did. When _did_ I get here?"

The blue hedgehog shrugged. "Who knows? But seriously, that's what everyone's gonna do to that poor little bee. Ignore 'im and such. You don't wanna do that kinda stuff to him, do ya?"

"No..."

"Then, let's go chat with 'im!" Sonic declared, strutting straight towards the bee.

Tails followed more meekly, his shoulders drooping slightly, as he let out a deep breath. When the fox was nearly upon the bee, the new orphan noticed the shadow and looked up, amber eyes glowing. He was tiny compared to everyone, and his wings fluttered hesitantly at this stranger.

The fox took another deep breath and silently prayed to an unseen force for help with eyes shut. Then, he opened them and burst into a small smile, thrusting his arm forwards and attempting to copy the mannerisms of his older blue friend. "H-hiya, I'm Tails. Tails the Fox," he said, his voice wavering, "You are?"

"Charmy. Charmy Bee," the bee said after a long silence, a small smile appearing on his face.

Tails' azure eyes widened. What next? Sonic gesturing violently in the background to keep going flustered the fox beyond belief. He had to say something interesting, something that he wanted to know about the bee, something that he didn't already know...

"You new here?" he spat quickly.

Tails wanted to stab himself.

"Y-yeah."

"How old are ya? I mean, you seem really young to be here. Did ya parents pass on or somethin'?"

Now Sonic wanted to stab Tails.

Charmy shifted his weight and his head flopped slightly. "I'm six," he mumbled inconsolably, "And a house fire killed nearly everyone at our family reunion. Except me." Sonic stopped his death glare at Tails and whistled in amazement. The two-tailed fox scuffed his shoe against the carpet awkwardly, realizing the gravity of the situation. Charmy stared at Tails with tear-filled eyes. "Now, no one's gonna wanna adopt me 'cause the only kind of people that loved me are gone now. I have no friends, family, anyone! Sometimes I wish I coulda burned in that house with my family, too."

Tails widened his eyes at his failure to soothe the bee and immediately jumped to the rescue, rubbing the new orphan's back reassuringly. "Hey, hey, it's okay," he said quickly, "Don't cry. I lost my parents, too. Sweet Mobius, I don't even remember what they looked like! But I'm sure someone's gonna adopt ya real soon; adults always love the younger kids. It just takes time, that's all. Just please stop cryin'; you're makin' a scene."

Ceasing his torrent of tears, Charmy gazed up at the fox, who relaxed visibly at the recovery. "Good," Tails breathed. Then he grinned, jabbing a thumb backwards. "Say, d'ya wanna sit at our lunch table? I think we've got some room for you." Sonic sent him a confident thumbs-up after scouting out the cafeteria and directed the two to their lunch table.

"...Our?" Charmy asked upon seeing the empty table.

"Yeah, me and Sonic," Tails said, demonstrating to the blue hedgehog next to him, "Y'know, blue hedgehog. Green eyes. Fifteen years old. Super tall. Right next to me right now." When the bee deviated his gaze that spot, the fox sighed. "Good, y'see him. Now, c'mon, today's spaghetti and meatballs day. You don't wanna be last in line, do you?"

Charmy shook his head and flew hurriedly after Tails, who randomly broke into a sprint towards the lunch line. The fox groaned as Sonic touched the back of the last person in line first.

"Sorry, lil' bud. Gotta be faster next time," the blue hedgehog bragged, a confident smile gracing his tan muzzle. He then nudged his smaller friend, mumbling, "Hey, y'think that Charmy is enjoyin' any of this?"

Tails cast a glance to the bee next to him and turned back to Sonic. "I dunno, he seems a bit depressed," he said in a low whisper as he received his share of spaghetti and meatballs, "Maybe he wants to be friends."

Sonic waved an arm frenetically. "Well, why don't ya ask him?"

"Okay," the fox said, head swiveling to the six year old, "Hey, wanna be friends?"

Charmy blinked slowly, hopelessly confused at the fox for talking to nothing but thin air. "Uh, sure."

"Great!" Tails spun back to the hedgehog next to him, leaving the lunch line with the bee following in tow. "He still looks depressed. Now what do I do?" the two-tailed fox whispered.

"Just wait," Sonic said, receiving a nod in return, and the three seated themselves at the lunch table.

The bee began to slurp up his spaghetti until he spotted out of the corner of his eyes Tails scooping up the noodles in his gloves. The fox shoved the main portion of the meal to the end of the lunch tray and plucked the meatballs from it. He then stacked them on top of one another, chuckling and mumbling under his breath as he went.

Tails took notice of Charmy staring at him in puzzlement, and he sent a grin towards the bee. "Do you wanna help us finish the Tower of Pork?" he asked.

Charmy nodded and scooted closer to the two-tailed orphan, who cheered in ecstasy and pushed another meatball onto the tower. The bee gave up the protein of his lunch tray, watching in awe as his new friend smushed them on there by twos.

"Eight...Ten...Twelve!" Tails exclaimed, pulling his grimy gloved hands delicately away from the work of art, "Viola! The beautiful Tower of Pork is finished!" A mischievous smile overtook his facial features, and he snatched a glob of noodles. "Until one day-"

Charmy saw the devious look and immediately found a pile of pasta himself, grinning quite madly as well.

"-a _storm_ came!"

The two orphans pelted the meatball masterpiece with noodles, flinging sloppy pasta sauce around the table and splattering many unsuspecting kids around them. They burst into laughter and collapsed in their chairs, both covered in their lunch meals.

A hefty shadow looming over them interrupted the moment, and they stared up to see the large fat man that Sonic and Tails always dreaded. "Miles Prower!" Eggman growled, "What on Mobius are you doing?!"

The fox shrunk instantly from his cocky stature, his two tails quivering. "I-I-"

"Come with me!" the fat man grasped Tails' hand and pulled him across the cafeteria while many of the older kids catcalled and led a chorus of 'ohhs'. Sonic, enraged, followed but stopped at the doorway, his quills bristling. Once they were alone, Eggman released his grip on the fox and folded his arms decisively.

Silence drove its way between the staff worker and the orphan, and tension racked Tails' brain. Now probably was a good time to wipe the sauce off his uniform.

"Miles."

The fox stared up at the madman, shaking at the horrific gleam of his navy blue spectacles.

Eggman sighed and rubbed his temples as if he didn't want to say what he was planning to. "You..." he said in a snarl as Tails winced, "Someone has taken an interest in adopting you. They want to talk to you tomorrow and..." The fox's eyes began to glitter, and the fat man snapped, "Now don't get that hopeful look! If you were even adopted by this client, you would have a single father. Strange, you don't see that type of person taking interest an adopting a kid very often... You're dismissed, Prower. And stop playing with your food!"

Despite the rebuke, the fox sped off back into the cafeteria, practically dancing on his toes to his friend. "Sonic, Sonic, Sonic!" he cried.

Sonic spun to face him with a fuming glower, but when he saw the fox's elated expression, it was completely wiped away. "What is it?" he questioned, befuddled.

"Someone wants to adopt us, Sonic! Someone wants to adopt us!" Tails shouted, receiving some odd looks, but nevertheless, he still skipped around the hedgehog.

Thin, flat line morphing into an excited smirk, Sonic said, "Tell me this isn't true, lil' buddy. This is a dream, isn't it?"

"Nope, it's as real as you and me!" the fox said, flailing his arms wildly, "Ol' Eggbum said that a guy was interested in adopting us. We might get a dad!"

A swaggering voice broke in, rowdy and irritating. "Oh, you think that _you_ might get adopted? Ha! I bet once the guy takes one look at you he's gonna deny ya _flat out_!" cackled Alex. The fox narrowed his eyes at the kid, and the eleven year old raised his hands in defense, saying, "It's true! I mean, it's happened so many times to others. Really, anyone actually interested in adopting _you_ is probably cuckoo in the head!"

Tails attempted to give him the most threatening glare on Mobius. "Back off, Alex," he hissed.

Alex laughed boisterously and stalked off. "Fine, but don't come crying to me when you're wrong and _un_-_adopted_!"

Sonic rolled his green eyes at the kid. "Sheesh, if he's bullying you so much, why would you come crying to him? He makes no sense," the blue hero muttered, facing his smaller friend, "Can I attack him, please, lil' buddy? Show 'im what for?"

Tails shook his head in response and waved his gloved hand in the general direction the bully went off to. "Naw, Alex is just being a jerk. We'll be adopted; I'm sure."

"You're getting adopted?" a tiny voice squeaked behind them.

The two swiveled around to see Charmy Bee, who looked more distraught than ever. Tails grinned. "Yeah, isn't it great? We get to leave this stupid ol' orphanage after what? All our lives? Man, I can't wait to see what my dad's gonna look like," he endorsed, smiling dreamily.

Charmy kept his eyes trained to the ground as Tails continued to celebrate with thin air. "Oh. That's great."

* * *

Tails tacked down another day on his calendar, beaming slightly. He had had that makeshift calendar for practically years; he made it himself after all. It beat using tally marks to count the days. He snatched a permanent marker and drew a line through the box representing that day. "122 days without an interview-" he paused, a lopsided grin appearing on his white-whiskered muzzle, "-until tomorrow."

Sonic yawned, stretching himself out on the lower bunk bed. "Yo, Tails, it might be time to hit the covers, y'know. It's a big day for us tomorrow," he quipped.

The fox didn't know if his mouth could stretch any broader. "Yeah, good idea, Sonic," the two-tailed orphan said, snuggling into the sheets and fluffing his pillow up. His blue uniform lay folded on the carpet floor as the rest of the orphan boys' were as well. Everyone seemed to be settling down for lights out, which was at exactly nine at night.

Mumblings of the other boys started to fade away into a minor nuisance, and lamp lights started to flicker off as Tails was about to drift off. "...Tails?" a choked voice called out.

The fox's eyelids fluttered open, and he shifted himself on his side to the direction of the sound. It was pitch black now; the only sound he heard was the voice. "Charmy?" And now his.

Charmy had the lower bunk bed next to him as well, and despite the minute amount moonlight falling in, Tails could see the bee's puffy red eyes. "I-I just w-wanted you to know that you were really kind to me today," the new orphan said slowly, "Th-thanks for being such a good friend when I had none. I hope th-that you have a good family once you're adopted t-tomorrow. Thanks for everything."

Then sniffling and muted bawls followed, and Tails turned to lay on his back, feeling utterly cold. "Hey, Sonic?"

"Hmm?"

"Whadda I do?"

Sonic's twinkling green eyes shifted from Charmy to Tails. He closed his eyes sleepily. "Do what you think is best. I mean, can't you decide for yourself?" he said calmly.

"Aw, c'mon, Sonic! Don't act like this! I need your help!" the fox pleaded.

"Nuh-uh, you need to figure it out yourself. I'll help ya out, lil' bud, with whatever you have planned, but I can't decide for you." And with that, Sonic swiveled his back to the fox, stealing most of the covers.

"_Hey_!" Tails half-whispered, clenching his fists in annoyance, "Some help _you_ are!"

And so, the two-tailed orphan was left to his thoughts, wondering, wondering, wondering, as the night persisted in being silent and the six year old bee never stopped in his despair.

* * *

The next day, after listening to the endless muffled sobs and shuffling of the bed throughout the night, the two-tailed orphan laid in his bed, acting utterly miserable. He coughed, convulsing violently in his spasm. Seven in the morning had long past arrived, and Eggman broke down the door, practically screaming for Miles Prower.

Raising his hand weakly, the fox answered softly but was cut short in a coughing paroxysm. The fat man gazed at the fox and felt the kid's burning forehead. His calculating gaze was hidden but felt behind his glasses. "Will you be able to make it for the interview, Prower?" he asked, uncharacteristically soft.

Miles shivered. "No, I don't...I don't think so," the fox shuddered, "I don't...I don't wanna disappoint the guy though. Can ya please let Charmy Bee be interviewed in my stead?"

Eggman seemed bizarrely astonished at this request, but he nodded and stood up, the order of business written all over his pudgy face. "Yes, I can't very well leave my client with nothing... He did say he liked interesting, unique kids.." he muttered to himself. An awkward stillness passed over the two, and Eggman said, "Well, I'll go call a nurse for you to provide medication. Now, stay put."

And with that, Eggman left and the door closed with a slam. Tails wilted instantly from being 'wilted' and glanced at Sonic, who was rubbing his hands against the fox's head. "He's gone now, Sonic. You can stop," he said nonchalantly, his voice clear and devoid of sickness. He pulled back into a yawn. "I am kinda tired from hearing that ol' bee cryin' and snifflin' all night. He wouldn't survive a month here in this orphanage. But we can. Sweet Mobius, we've survived this place all our lives! I hope he's glad that he has a chance for interview."

The blue hedgehog nodded, draping the sheets over Tails. "Yeah, I know. You should get some sleep, lil' bud. I think that the nurse would actually be pretty glad to have one of her patients asleep and easy to deal with. I'll keep watch," Sonic uttered softly, coaxing the orphan to a deep sleep.

...

"Tails! Tails! Tails!"

"Wha-?" the fox mumbled, stirring from his snooze. Morning sunlight still filtered into the bedroom, and it seemed like not much time had passed. The one who shook him awake buzzed happily around him, cheering loudly.

"I'm adopted, Tails! Can ya believe it?" Charmy exclaimed hyperactively, his amber eyes wide with exhilaration. The bee was in an orange vest and shoes instead of his mandatory blue uniform, which lay on where he used to sleep.

The fox rubbed his eyes groggily, sitting up gradually. "That's great," he said, feigning an alert voice.

"Yeah, his name's Vector. He's a crocodile and he's really huge and he says he owns an agency right in this town! I'm so _excited_!" Charmy blabbered, gathering his things hastily and flying every which way.

"Uh-huh, that's grea-" Tails was suddenly cut off as the bee sucked him into a hug.

"Thanks really for bein' my only friend, as short as my time here has been. I know Vector was supposed to interview you initially and you got sick so I was interviewed instead..." the bee trailed off, his happy expression lessening. However, a small beam was still hidden in the corners of his mouth as he sincerely said, "It was really unfortunate that you got sick today, huh? Well, I hope you get adopted someday, Tails. And your friend Sonic, wherever he is. Ciao, friend!"

Charmy zoomed out of the room nearly as fast as Sonic, and Tails- -fully awake now- -took out the thermometer in his mouth. " 'Real unfortunate', huh?" the fox mumbled to the blue hedgehog, who crossed his arms, "I thought he would be smart enough to realize."

Sonic shook his head at Tails' dejection as the fox leaped out of bed flawlessly without stumbling or anything. The two-tailed orphan turned to the sticky wall, which held up his calendar. With a dark permanent marker, Tails crossed off the day of the interview.

"...123 days _without_ an interview," Tails grumbled miserably, "Maybe I shouldn't have faked bein' sick. I had a real chance, Sonic." He hopped onto his bed and closed the tip of the marker. "And I just _had_ to get all sympathetic over a six year old bee."

The blue hero crouched next to the fox and placed a reassuring arm around his shoulder. "Don't say that, lil' buddy. That was a real self-sacrificing thing that ya had to do. I'm proud of you, y'know that?" he said.

Tails gazed at him, wide-eyed in wonder. "Really?"

"Yeah, you're a hero to that bee kid."

"A hero like you?"

"A hero like me."

The fox slumped next to the hedgehog and sighed. "Maybe fakin' sick ain't all that bad."

Sonic smiled smoothly, "That's the spirit, lil' buddy. I mean, think about it; we can stay in bed all day, hear no more of Eggman's lectures, have no annoying Alexs in our room..."

Suddenly, the door swung open and revealed a red-headed female human dressed in a white nurse uniform. She smiled sweetly at the 'sick' fox sitting on his bed and held up a pill capsule and a pint of reddish-purple liquid. "Time for your medicine, dear!"

Tails exchanged a horrified look with Sonic, who was just as distressed.

"Medicine?!"

**Bonus for guessing who that nurse was! No, just kidding, don't center your review around that. ^_^" I'm getting a bit goofy with the cameos and all. There is obviously no set update times for this story, so if you like it, show it by reviewing, favoriting, following, or even just sending me a PM. If you do that, there is probably a higher chance I'll update faster like this time.**

**Thanks!**

**-JD**


	3. Hero to Imaginary Hero

"It's a hurricane. It has to be."

Tails stared agape at the bedroom window, watching the lightning create jagged bright streaks across the pitch black in rapid fire succession. It would brighten up the dark giant room for mere seconds and then fade away, and a thunderous boom would shake the orphanage and cause the eight year old to squeal. The blue hedgehog behind the fox had been trying to catch some sleep, but once he saw Tails again remain motionless at the window, he stirred from his half-slumber.

"Look, lil' buddy, why don't you try to catch some Z's now? You do this every time a storm comes up," Sonic muttered, rubbing his eyelids, which slid open to reveal bright, gleaming emerald orbs.

The fox's silhouette was highlighted by another nearby lightning strike as he turned to Sonic. "Well, it could be a squall, which could lead to a big ol' hurricane, Sonic. It makes sense since we're on an island in the first place," he said determinedly.

"Why do we have to be doin' this so early in the morning?" the two-tail's friend said.

"It's eleven at night."

Sonic sleepily waved his hand at the glowing green alarm clock as if to ward it off. "Close enough."

Rain came in sheets against the window, pounding and pounding as if it were hail. The blue hero groaned and sank back into the bed. It didn't really help that their bunk bed was closest to the window at all. "I don't get it, Tails. Why are you so fascinated with storms? Or are you really that scared of a hurricane coming up?" he slurred.

"I'm not scared!" Tails protested and shot a fierce look at Sonic, his fur puffing out, "And I'm not fascinated with them either. It's just...I want to be prepared."

His spiky friend deadpanned, "Yeah, sure. Says the kid who, as soon as he comes up with an idea, drops everything and attempts to initiate it without even considering the consequences."

Tails grunted and stuck out his tongue. "I don't see you stopping me."

A chuckle was heard, and the blue hedgehog raised his gloved hands good-naturedly. "True, true," he said, "Now, why don't you come back to bed and get some sleep? I don't trust that rusty ol' window to keep back the storm."

"So you _do_ think it's powerful enough to be a hurricane?" Tails excitedly asked, causing Sonic to slap his forehead for even mentioning the strength of the tempest.

"All right, so what if turns out to be a hurricane? Are you going do the Macarena in the bedroom or somethin'?"

"No, but-" he stared out at the window almost sullenly now, "I mean, I know the honest-to-good danger that you and I would be in if that actually happened. Everyone would be in a panic and all that, and I'm terrified of actual thunderstorms-" An earsplitting crack from outside caused the fox to flinch and tuck his arms in closer. "But nightmares and fears are supposed to wreck things. They come true and destroy lives and daily schedules as we know it. I just wish it would hurry up and destroy mine. Y'know, maybe rip a hole through this entire orphanage, so they could just say 'Oh, well, we tried' and let all of us go so we could find better lives ourselves. It doesn't look like they're even tryin'."

A resounding thump signaled Sonic had escaped the clutches of the bed covers, and he had reached Tails in a Sonic second. The fox stared at his friend, who had dropped down to his level, and said, "What do you think, Sonic?"

Horror struck Tails because Sonic looked almost as if he were fading, like this was too big and too much gravity of an issue for him to fix. "Sonic- -?!" he tried to say, but the rain and torrent of thunder overpowered any sound the orphan attempted to make. Suddenly, a sense of utter loneliness engulfed the eight year old, and panic seeped into his heart, causing it to beat rapidly, as the wall in front of him seemed to close in on him.

The thunderstorm took an almost deity-like state as it roared deafeningly. Tears sprouted in the corners of Tails' eyes, and he shook his head furiously. Though the loud noises had scared him before, his greatest fear wasn't a storm or even a disastrous hurricane. It was beyond anything he had ever experienced, but it was something that was always there, hidden almost indefinitely inside his heart. His blue eyes widened as his head spun around to see nothing but darkness. No sound, no sight of any human or animal in sight.

It. was. just. him.

He could no longer take the weight of reality and began to fall to his small, knobby knees. However, strong, limber arms wrapped around his waist and hoisted him up so that his feet barely skimmed the carpet. "Tails, I'm right here for you, lil' buddy. Were you even listenin' ta me?" a calming voice muttered softly in his ear. The rain and storm suddenly resorted to mere background noise as the fox turned to look at Sonic, windswept quills and serious emerald eyes and all.

Tails shook his head, trembling.

Sonic set him down and laughed, an unusual thing to do in the midst of a terrible thunderstorm. "Tails, my friend, heroes got to have hope. But it's not unrealistic to lose it when you're facing some hard times and stuff. Sweet Mobius, I've lost hope sometimes," he said good-naturedly, his eyes illuminated in the storm. He raised a finger in the air as well as an eye ridge. "But ya know what I did? I didn't just sit around and wait for somethin' to happen to solve my problems. Ya gotta have hope. But you don't just wait for something to happen. I realized that every time I decided to sit around and wait, I lost hope. That's why you got to take action and do something yourself. Then you'll gain hope, lil' buddy. That's what a hero does."

Then the blue hero wrapped his arms around the much younger hero and embraced him. Tails accepted it and returned the gesture, nuzzling into the soft fuzz of his big brother's neck and his tan shoulder. "Mmphonick?"

"Yeah?" Sonic asked. The fox pulled away from the hug, still in the arms of his big brother.

"Can you promise to never ever leave me like all the rest?"

The blue hedgehog looked thoroughly stunned and a little hurt. "Lil' bud, why would I ever leave you? I won't abandon you; I'll stick by your side," Sonic promised.

"You'll never _ever_ abandon me?" Tails' voice came in as a squeak.

"Never ever," Sonic said coolly in response, allowing the fox to rest happily. Thunder boomed raucously in the night, causing the both to return to their senses as to where they were and what time it was.

Sonic's confident, brazen voice came in softly but rather loudly in Tails' ear, "So, what's our plan of attack against the enemy, Captain Two-Tails?"

The fox opened his mouth to say something but instead let out an abrupt yawn, smacking his lips for good measure. Tails gave Sonic a sleepy smile. "Ignore it."

Sonic chuckled and ruffled the kid's bangs. "A good plan indeed, my brother."

As the blue hedgehog carried the little orphan two-tail to bed while the storm continued in its roaring and rumbling as if it were furious at failing, Tails smiled and closed his eyes, feeling the warmth emanate from his friend.

In situations like these, Sonic couldn't feel any realer.

* * *

**Aw, man, I haven't updated in nearly three weeks on this story and the best I could do for a comeback is a thousand word thunderstorm chapter? Still, I hope you enjoyed this one. I tried to do something different and make it more than just a hurt/comfort kind of thing, but I don't know if I accomplished that. I also tried to put my own thoughts and characterization on Tails. Let me know how I did with this one with a review, please.**

**And for those who gave me ideas for future chapters, thank you! I very much appreciate them and will use them in some way later on in different chapters. Right now, I have no inspiration to write anymore today. And if anyone else has any ideas for future chapters, please let me know via PM and I may use them. Thanks!**

**-JD**


	4. With One Simple Chilidog

**Early cheers to the blue hedgehog's birthday! This one goes out to Sonic, the twenty-three year old rascal. ;)**

* * *

"C'mon, gotta go fast. Gotta go fast."

Indeed, Tails the Fox had to go fast, as he wasn't where he was supposed to be. He pushed past the lines of orphans gathered together in the constricted hallway and sprinted on ahead, wishing sorely that he could only be seen as a yellow blur.

Signs that were plastered on the walls the orphan sped by boasted of a sort of an open house event, where adults could come to see the many orphans and hopefully decide on some prospects to adopt. It was the one of the events that West Side's Home for Children really emphasized.

Normally, this would concern the fox, as he hoped to be adopted sometime soon, but right now, he couldn't deal with it. Especially not on this day.

A checklist was arranged in Tails' mind as well as a timer, as the orphan swung to the main entrance of the orphanage. Multitudes of tall Mobians and humans swarmed the lobby, making it more difficult for him to spot the item he was looking for.

"Ah-ha!" he cheered silently amongst the boisterous chatter. Quickly, he leaped onto the welcome desk and snatched a thin wax candle from its hold. Heat scorched his hand and nearly burned the fabric of his glove, but Tails didn't care.

The fox landed onto the floor and skittered to the side of the desk, narrowly avoiding a tall, sturdy pair of legs of one of the adults. He ignored the protests of the secretary and plunged down the hall. His feet screeched against the tiled floor to pull into a stop by the staff break room just in time to swing by and 'borrow' the hotdog Eggman was about to chomp down on. Hurriedly, the fox escaped the room of sudden death with the meal in hand, squeezed through the crowd of adults in the lobby once again.

Excitement built inside the eight year old as he blurred past the hallways as if he were Sonic. Just thinking about his friend made him grin madly. He was the luckiest fox in the world, to have a friend, almost like a big brother, like Sonic. Tails had no idea why someone as old as Sonic would hang around a dorky little kid like him. Especially since he was parentless, talentless, and had no special attributes whatsoever.

Well, except for his twin tails, but that was a different story.

The blue hedgehog was a hero. He had saved millions of lives and often told Tails bedtime stories of how he had rescued locals and fought against evil. His super speed was something that alone the fox could be in awe of. But that wasn't why Tails was so thankful for him.

"Finally," the fox sighed, breaking his code of silence. He slipped through the door into the kitchen, where sweet scents and smells wafted throughout the place, which was tempting and alluring for him. However, Tails had different business to attend to. He ducked low, careful not to be spotted by any lunch ladies, and scampered across the aisles of counters. Spiciness invaded his nostrils, and, after a quick scan to assure the coast was clear, Tails stood up in front of a pot.

He grinned and hastily stuck a ladle in the pot to scoop out brown mottled sauce and dump it in on the hot dog. Drops hit the floor, staining the spotless porcelain tiles. Tails took the liberty to pop a finger coated in the sauce into his mouth. "Mmm. Still hot."

A clatter nearby awakened him, and the rascal fled out of the room as fast as he could. His thoughts drew to the blue hedgehog again in his escape.

No, it wasn't because Sonic was a super cool hero with ultra cool speed, and it wasn't even because he was older, too. Even though Tails admired him for all those things, the fox realized that there was something more to him than that.

Characteristics of the hedgehog flew by in Tails' mind.

Well, there was his utter impatience to get things done. There were his snarky comebacks. There was his jittery self that never stayed in one place. There was his mischievous, troublemaking side that never stopped him from making fun of Eggman. He loved to proclaim his talents to the high heavens. But Tails also remembered Sonic's calmness and serenity. Nothing bothered him.

While dwelling on his characteristics, memories began to plague the fox's mind, causing him to smile.

Sonic would always bounce across the bedroom in the mornings. He would always call for a race when there was a crowd of orphans. Whenever he made a mistake, he'd laugh and move on. He was humbly prideful, if that made any sense- -confident in his abilities but willing to hand the spotlight over. His wittiness was refreshing and utterly contagious.

All those things Tails could never have found out about Sonic if it hadn't been one for thing, and it brought him to realize the whole scope of why he was so thankful for the blue hero.

His feet finally took him to the door frame of the bedroom. Heart pumping wildly in his small, white-furred chest, Tails creaked the door open slowly. "Hey, Sonic?"

The view of the bedroom inside was enlarged to see the blue hedgehog resting on the lower bunk bed, hands behind his spiky blue head in a relaxing pose. Sonic perked. "Finally back, buddy?"

The fox snorted and pushed the door fully open. "I wasn't that long, y'know. Only a couple of minutes."

"Ah, Tails, don't you know that minutes are hours in Sonic time?" the blue hedgehog said, wagging a finger, as his little brother approached him.

Tails rolled his blue eyes. "I don't think you'll be complainin' after you see what I have for you," he said nonchalantly, fighting hard not to burst into a smile.

"Eh?"

The steaming hot dog meal was dumped into the blue hero's hands along with a lit wax candle pressed into the pork. Smacking his messy, stubby hands together, the eight year old cried, "Happy birthday, Sonic!"

Sonic gazed at the meal in utter disbelief. His stare then flickered to the fox, who was bubbling with glee at his masterpiece. A grin materialized onto his tan muzzle. "You shouldn't have."

"I did!" Tails shot back, plopping on the bed next to him, "Now, c'mon, I want to see you take the bite out of that chilidog. I wanna see if Eggman actually eats real meat!"

Confusion spread across the hedgehog's face until his smirk returned, broader than before. "You took a stinkin' _chilidog _from Egghead?" he said, digging his teeth into the hotdog.

"No, I only took a hotdog from him. I got the chili sauce from the kitchen. I swear they have literally all kinds of food in there; I even saw some spaghetti from last week," the fox said as solemnly as possible.

Sonic shook his head, still somewhat sputtering. "You're crazy."

"Says the one who insisted on trying the hot sauce in the cafeteria," Tails shot back coolly.

"That was only once!" Sonic exclaimed. He then paused and stared at the chilidog, the chili seasoning dropping onto the carpet, "This _isn't _the hot sauce...is it?"

Laughter escaped from the fox's stomach. "Nah, you're good."

"Good, 'cause you're gonna share it with me."

The eight year old waved his hands in front of his mouth. "Nuh-uh! It's your birthday present; it's all yours!" he said and then, seeing the disbelieving look Sonic gave him, protested, "I didn't put any hot sauce in your chilidog, okay? I just don't like chilidogs that much."

Sonic faked a gasp at the last statement, but he had lost his suspicion, much to Tails' relief. He munched on the chilidog again, his muzzle now stained. "Tell you what," he said between chunks of pork, "We can go on a midnight raid later and get some mints for you. Deal?"

Tails squealed with delight. "Deal!"

And with that, they continued their banter, pulling jokes left and right and just plain keeping up with the conversation. No action or adventures occurred between them, just simple conversation and witty comebacks. It seemed simple, boring even. But that was what Tails loved most of all, the quality time. The fox didn't even say all that he wanted to say or felt about the hedgehog, but it was also expressed with one simple chilidog. And that was enough.

Laughter bounced across the room as the fox glanced at the staggering, snorting sixteen year old, who was now on a roll with Eggman puns. Warmth filled inside Tails' heart when he looked at Sonic; it was something the fox never wanted to let go of.

The fox grinned.

_Happy birthday, Sonic._


End file.
